Driving and steering mechanism for motor-vehicles.



No 849,662. PATENTED APR. 9, 1907. H. G. OOYKENDALL.

DRIVING AND STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILEDYAPR. a. 1905. RENEWED FBB.1B, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

110.849.662- PATENTED APR. 9, 1907. H. G. OOYKENDALL.

DRIVING AND STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. 1905. RENEWEDIEB. 18, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT z.

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I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORATIO G. COYKENDALL, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

DRIVlNG AND STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed April 6, 1905. Renewed February 18, 1907. Serial No. 358.116;

State of California, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Driving and Steering Mechanism for Motor-Vehicles and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The invention relates to steering and driving mechanism for motor-veh icles generally such as automobiles, traction-engines, and trucks-ethe same bein applicable for both light and heavy vehic es, the object of the invention being to provide an improved gear-drive which, together with the steering mechanism, permits all four wheels of the vehicle to be driven simultaneously, irrespective of the position or anglewhich the wheels may assume, the invention, being so designed as to permit of its use in connection with heavy vehicles, as traction-en ines, trucks, and heavy automobiles with so id or non-rotating axles, and-this without the employment of steering knuckles commonly associated with the steering mechanism of automobiles.

To com rehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the running-gear of an automobile with the improved mechanism applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of said parts, one of the rear wheels being removed to clearly illustrate the location of the various driving features, the hound to which the axle-tube is secured being sectioned. Fig. 3 is a rear view in elevation of the mechanism disclosed by Fig. 1 of the drawings. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of the drawin s, the invention being illustrated or applied to a heavy vehicle or such as employ non-rotating axles. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional end view in elevation of the mechanism set forth in Fig. 4 of the drawings, taken on line :0 x of said view; Fig. 5 is' a vertical sectional view of the dliferential gear mechanism ordinarily employed in connection with automobiles, the same being used to transmit the motion of the horizontal drive-gear for the driving of the ro- .7 of the drawings, whic gear 11, while its opposite face is en a tating axles of a light vehicle or for imparting motion to a counter shaft in case of a heavy vehicle or such as employ non-rotatin axles; and Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of sai differential gear mechanism, the inolosing casing being sectioned.

The numerals 1 and 2 indicate, respec-' tively, the forward and rear wheels of the vehicle, which in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are illustrated as secured to the projecting ends of the front and rear axles 3 and 4. These axles are rotating ones, the same rotating freely within the hollow or tubular sleeves 5 6. .Said sleeves are secured to the horizontally-movable hounds 7 8 the axles working within the sleeve bein the usual type of two-part axles. Each en of these axles extend within the inclosing casing 9 for the ordinary differential gear mechanism, consistin of a train of intermeshing. inions, Figs. 6' and are usually employed to drive the sections of the axle working within the tubular front and rear sleeves 5 6. This gear mechanism is supported within the bracket 10, Figs. 1- and 3 of the drawin s. Motion is imparted to said mechanism y means of the ear 11, which is driven from a horizontalT -disposed drive gear 12. This gear is a double or two faced one, one face thereof meshing with the said ed by a pinion 13, mounted on each end of t e longitudinally-arranged drive-shaft 14, which shaft is driven by any suitable motor carried b the vehicle.

Eac drive-gear .12, there being onefor each axle of the vehicle, is mounted to re- -volve on a pin or stud 15, securely fastened to and projecting upwardly from the tubular sleeves 5 6, which inclose the rotating axles 3 4.

The drive-shaft is mounted in bearings of the brackets 16, which extend from V the yokes 17. These vokes aremounted and held in place by the studs 15 and 15", which are secured to and project above and below the tubular sleeves for the axles. Said yokes also act as bearings for each end of the steering-rod 18, which rod serves as a reach for the vehicle. I

On the steering-rod 18, near each end thereof, is securely fastened a pinion v19,

which pinion meshes with the teeth of a rack-plate 20, attached to the under face of each hound 7 8. .The said steering-rod is arranged immediately beneath the hounds, being supported thereto by the strap or stirrup 21. This steering-rod is oscillated by means of' the steering-shaft '22, which carries a worm-pinion 23 at-its lower end,..

that meshes with the worm 24 on the said steering-rod. It is obvious that as the st'eer'mg-rod is rotated in either direction it actuates the hounds 7 8, and by thusswin ingthe same horizontally turn the whee s of the vehicle in the desired direction So far the invention has been described with reference to light vehicles or. those em loying rotating axles. Where the ve-' hic e is a heavy one, such as a two-ton automobile. or a traction engme or motortruck, it is the general practice to employ non-rotatin axles. In such cases the general princip e of the invention is such as before described, exceptin that the tubular bular sleeves the same is mounted on a pin sleeve for the"axles are ispensed with, and the difierential gear mechanism previously mentioned is carried on a-counter-shaft- 24, working in bearin s 24' wardly projecting from the. fixed axles 26 of the vehicle, Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. With suchaxles the wheels 1 2 turn loosely on the'projecting ends thereof. Afurther difierence is that the swinging hounds 7 8 are secured, respectively, directly to the front and rear axles, so that the axles are swung on an "arc of a circle with the novement ofthe said hounds in accordance with the direction in which the steering-rod 22 is rotated. Also instead of the double-faced horizontally-disposed drive-gears -12 being mounted on the pin projectingfrom the tuor stud 27, upwardly projecting from the front and rear stationary axles 26, which, together with the depending stud or pin 27., su ortthe yokes 17.

o transmit the'motion of the countershaft 24 the hub of each wheel ofthe vehicle has fastened thereto a cog-gear- 28,

which is engaged by a cog-pinion 28, secured to each projecting end of the said countershafts.

Except for. the noted changes the arrangement of-the drive mechanism and that of the steering means is substantially the same when used in connection With heavy vehicles as when employed for the steering anddriving ofli ht vehicles.

The essential eature of the present invention is the employment of the horizontallydis osed drive-gear for actuating the means to impart rotatlon to the wheels of the ve--' hicle, andithis feature it is wished to be of brackets 25, up-

claimed broadly whether used in connection with the operatin of rotating axles or for driving the Wheels mounted to rotate on fixed or stationary axles, and I W1sh also to be understood as claiming, broadly, the use of the horizontally-swinging hounds for 'i'turning the front and rear axles in unison when, said-hounds are actuated by the steer;

,ing mechanism of the vehicle.

. Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new, and desired to 'be' pro tected by Letters Patent, is-

Y 1. The. combination withthe gear mechanism at each end of the vehicle for imparting rotation to the wheels thereof, of horizontally-disposed drive-gears for operating said mechanism, and a longitudinally-disposed rigid drive-shaft for simultaneously actuating each horizontally-disposed drivegear. 2.

tion to the wheels thereof, of horizontallydisposed drive-gears for operating said mechanisms, a continuous rigid longitudinally 4 extended drive shaft for simultaneously actuating each horizontally-disposed gear, and means'for simultaneously swingpairs of supportingshaft operatively associatedhwith both gearmechanisms, the said shaft being fixedly supported adjacent opposite ends to the respective axles, in combination with steering mechanism adapted to impart simultaneous movement to the respectiveaxleswithout interrupting the operation of said gear mechanism.

5". The combination with front and rear axles of'a vehicle, of hounds secured to the respective axles, yoke-brackets secured to the respective axles, and a continuous rigid steering rodfixedly supported upon said brackets and operative y associated with said hounds to simultaneously swing the same.

axles, of hounds secured-to the respective axles, yoke-brackets secured to said axles, a continuous rigid steering-rod fixedly con- The combination with gear mechanism at each end of the vehicle for imparting rota- 8 3 1 The combination with'front andrear I nected to the respective brackets and opera- In testimony whereof I have hereunto-set tively associated with said hounds to simulmy hand in the presence of witnesses. taneously swin the same separated earing for each axle, a nd a lon itudinally-ex isended HORATIO G? COYKENDALL' 5 continuous rigid drive-shaft operatively as- Witnesses:

soc-iated with said gearing and fixedly mount- -N A. AOKER,,

ed in said brackets, P. W. BETTINGER'. 

